Earring clasp with spring bias clamp and means for withholding same



July 15, 1958 E. F. GRAY EARRING CLASP WITH SPRING BIAS CLAMP AND MEANS FOR WITHHOLDING SAME Filed June 4. 1956 FIG. 3.

Fla-6.

INVENTOR ERNEST F. GRAY ATTORNEY United States 2,842,944 Patented July 15, 1958 EARRING CLASP WITH SPRING BIAS CLAMP AND MEANS FOR WITHHOLDING SAME Ernest F. Gray, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 4, 1956, Serial No. 589,316

2 Claims. (Cl. 63-14) This invention relates to an earring clasp of the type having a clamping member which is impelled toward the ear lobe by a spring. This invention is an improvement upon the construction shown in my co-pending application Serial No. 509,522, filed May 19, 1955, now Patent No. 2,776,555.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved earring clasp of the type described in which the clamping member is also provided with means for holding it in open position away from the ear lobe while the earring is being applied to or removed from the ear lobe.

It is particularly an object of my invention to provide such an earring clasp in which the clasp comprises only two parts and in which the holding means is provided without requiring any additional parts. It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide such a construction which may beincluded in an earringclasp of the type described without increasing its cost, while improving and simplifying its usefulness.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a holding means in which there is no wear and no bending or straining of metal to accomplish the holding or release of the clamping member. It is particularly an object of my invention to provide a holding means which utilizes the same spring which operates the clamping member.

In essence, my invention contemplates an earring clasp in which one end of a clamping member is pivotally mounted adjacent the upper end of a pivot arm. The

pposite end of the clamping member is bifurcated. When the clamping member is pivoted away from the ear lobe toward the pivot arm, the bifurcated portion of the clamping member straddles the pivot arm. This is the structure shown in my above mentioned application.

The novel feature which has been added by the present invention consists in providing an enlarged cam surface adjacent one side of the bifurcation of the clamping member so that the clamping member is tilted with respect to the pivot arm as its bifurcation passes around the pivot arm. This tilting is permitted by a limited amount of play in the pivotal mounting of the clamping member on the pivot arm. The tilting is accomplished against the action of the spring which impels the clamping member toward the ear lobe.

The clamping member is tilted only while the enlarged cam surface is being moved past the pivot arm. The clamping member then returns to a normal position with respect to the pivot arm due to the urging of the spring and the pivot arm is disposed within the bifurcation on the opposite side of the enlarged cam surface. The clamping member is thus located and held in open position adjacent the pivot arm and away from the ear lobe.

When the clamping member is to be released, it must be tilted again to move its enlarged cam surface past the pivot arm. These movements of locking and release are easily accomplished with the fingers without any bending of the metal (other than the spring) and without any wear on the clasp. The movements are so simple and so easily accomplished that the user is actually unaware of anything except the fact that movement of the clamping member toward the pivotal arm causes it to lock and movement of the clamping member away from the pivot arm causes it to release.

It is accordingly an object of my invention to provide an earring clasp and particularly holding means therefor having all of the advantages and benefits of the construction set forth above and in particular possessing to an unusual degree the benefits of simplicity and economy of manufacture and simplicity of operation.

My invention also comprises such other objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherently possessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible of modification and change without departing from the spirit of my invention.

, Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of my earring clasp with the clamping member locked in open position. The ornament and the ear lobe of the wearer are shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of my earring clasp with the clamping member being offset laterally with respect to the body member as the pivot arm moves past the enlarged cam surface of the clamping member. The view is taken substantially along lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view corresponding to Fig. 2 and taken substantially along lines 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of my earring clasp with the clamping member shown in closed or unlocked position.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the same taken substantially along lines 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially along lines 6-6 of Fig. l. The pivot arm is shown in full lines in the position it assumes when engaging the cam surface of the clamping member. The upper dotted lines show the pivot arm in the position it assumes when the clamping member is in locked position. The lower dotted lines show the pivot arm in the position it assumes before engaging the cam surface of the clamping member.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view takensubstantially along lines 7-7 of Fig. 1, showing the relationship between the clamping member and body member as the pivot arm engages the cam surface of clamping member.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view similar to Fig. 5 except that a portion of the clamping member is broken away to show the end of the tongue spring in section on the ledge.

A preferred embodiment which has been selected to illustrate my invention comprises an earring clasp which is preferably formed of sheet metal, although other suitable materials may also be used. The metal may be plated with any desired material.

My earring clasp is formed of only two parts, one of which comprises a substantially U-shaped body member 10 having a pair of substantially parallel arms 11 and 12. The arm 11 is adapted to receive a suitable ornamcntand is referred to as the ornament arm. The other arm 12 provides a pivotal mounting for the ear lobe clamping member and is referred to the pivot arm. The length of the ornament arm depends upon the ornament to which it is attached. The ornament arm may accordingly be considerably shorter than the pivot arm.

The upper end of the pivot arm 12 is provided with i an enlarged portion 13, which is substantially rectangular in shape. The upper end of enlarged portion 13 is provided with a pair of outwardly directed pivot pins 14 and 15, which are aligned to provide a horizontal axis of rotation. The central part of the upper end of enlarged portion 13 between pins 14 and 15 is cut away to provide a ledge 17.

An ear lobe clamping member 18 comprises the only other part necessary to form my complete earring clasp. The clamping member 18 is preferably formed by stamping and bending a sheet metal blank. It includes a top surface 19 which normally extends substantially horizontally from the pivot arm 12 toward the ornament arm 11. The end of the clamping member 18 adjacent to the pivot arm 12 is provided with a pair of tabs 20 and 21, which are bent downwardly at substantially a right angle from the top surface 19. The tabs 20 and 21 are provided with circular openings 22 and 23 respectively, which are somewhat larger than the pivot pins 14 and 15.

The opposite end of the clamping member 18 provides a pair of ear lobe engaging surfaces 25 and 26, which are spaced from each other by a slot 27. The slot 27 is at least slightly wider than the pivot arm 12 and is preferably sufliciently wide so that it is adapted to receive and hold a portion of the ear lobe between the surfaces 25 and 26 when the clamping member 18 engages the ear lobe.

The clamping member 18 is lanced or struck downwardly to provide an elongated tongue spring 28, which has a narrow free end which rests upon the ledge 17. The tongue spring 28 extends from the ear lobe engaging portions 25 and 26 to the pivot arm 12. It is disposed for its entire length beneath the top surface 19 of the clamping member 18. The'tongue spring 28 thus normally extends transversely across the open end of the U-shaped body member 10.

The free end of the tongue spring 28 rests on the top of ledge 17 adjacent and slightly beneath the horizontal axis of rotation which is defined by the pivot pins 14 and 15. The tongue spring 28 urges the clamping member 18 toward its normal position, in which the top surface 19 extends substantially transversely across the open end of the U-shaped body member 10 from the pivot arm 12 toward the ornament arm 11. The ear lobe engaging surface 25 and 26 extend downwardly from the top surface 19 adjacent and substantially parallel to the ornament armll.

The clamping member 11 is pivotally mounted on the upper end of the pivot arm 12, with the pivot pins 14 and 15 being rotatably mounted within the openings 22 and 23. Since the openings are somewhat larger than the pivot pins, a limited amount of play exists which permits movement of the pins within the openings in such a manner that the clamping member 18 may be tilted with respect to the body member 18 in the manner hereinafter described.

A stop member 24 extends downwardly from the top surface 19 in a different plane from the pivot tabs 20 and 21. The lower end of the stop member 24 is adapted to contact the back of the enlarged portion 13 to limit the pivotal movement of the clamping member 18 with respect to the pivot arm 12.

Referring to Fig. 6 of the drawings, it will be noted that the slot 27 is offset to one side of the clamping member 18. The ear lobe engaging surface 26 is accordingly larger than the surface 25. The ear lobe engaging surface 26 includes an enlarged cam surface 30.

When my earring clasp is to be attached to the ear lobe, the user exerts pressure with the fingers upon the clamping member 18, causing it to pivot away from the ornament arm 11 and toward the pivot arm 12. When the pivot arm 12 begins to pass through the slot 27, it encounters the enlarged cam surface 30. The continued movement of the clamping member 18 causes the pivot arm 12 to ride around the cam surface to the middle position shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

This movement is possible only if the clamping memher 18 is tilted to one side with respect to the body member 10. This tilting is caused by the engagement between the pivot arm 12 and the cam surface 30. The tilting is permitted by movement of the pivot pins 14 and 15 within the apertures 22 and 23. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the pivot pin 14 moves toward the bottom of aperture 22, while the pivot pin 15 moves toward the top of the aperture 23 to permit this tilting to take place.

This movement, which is somewhat exaggerated in the drawings for purposes of illustration, is accomplished against the pressure of the tongue spring 28. As the pivot arm 12 moves past thecenter of the cam surface 30, the tongue spring 28 exerts pressure which causes the clamping member 18 to resume its alignment with the body member 10.

When manual pressure on the clamping member 18 is released, the pivot arm 12 will move out of the slot 27 only a sufficient distance to engage the inner edge of the cam surface 30. Further movement of the pivot arm 12 past the cam surface 36 will be resisted by the tongue spring 28 and the clamping member 18 will be held in locked or open position.

In order to release the clamping member from locked position, it is necessary for the user to exert manual pressure on the clamping member 18 to move it away from the pivot arm 12. Such manual pressure overcomes the pressure of the tongue spring 28 and permits the clamping member 18 to be tilted with respect to the body member 10 as the pivot arm 12 moves around the cam surface 30 and out of the slot 27.

It will be noted that the distance between the ledge 17 and the top surface 19 of the clamping member 18 is greater than the distance between the front of the pivot arm 12 and the top surface 19 when the clamping member is pivoted in the manner described. It will accordingly be seen that as the clamping member 18 is pivoted toward the pivot arm 12, the free end of the tongue spring 28 is compressed toward the top surface 19 of the clamping member 18. The free end of the tongue spring 28 pivots upon the ledge 17 and moves to a position where it is almost parallel to the pivot arm 12 when the clamping member 18 is in its extreme open position. The end of the tongue spring 28 then bears against the front of the pivot arm adjacent the ledge 17;

In such position, the free end of the tongue spring 28 is closer to the top surface 19 of the clamping member 18 than when it is resting on the ledge 17. The tongue spring 28 is accordingly under compression in such position.

As previously stated, the opening and closing of the clamping member are easily accomplished with slight manual pressure without any bending of the metal and without any wear on the clasp. The wearer merely moves the clamping member in one direction to lock it and in the other direction to release it.

It may be noted that the clamping member 18 when in open or unlocked position may be under no pressure whatsoever from the tongue spring 28. Pressure from the tongue spring 28 is required only by the time the pivot arm 12 engages the cam surface 30.

It will be noted that the entrance portion of the slot 27 between the cam surface 30 and ear lobe engaging portion 25 is normally offset laterally with respect to the pivot arm 12, while the part of the inner portion of the slot 27 which is disposed inwardly from the cam surface 30 is normally substantially aligned with the pivot arm 12.

Since the tongue spring 28 normally urges the clamping member 18 into alignment with the U-shaped body member 10 by urging the pivot pins 14 and 15 toward the bottom of the apertures 22 and 23, it acts to resist the tilting movement of the clamping member 18 and accordingly locks the pivot arm 12 within the inner portion of the slot 27.

I claim:

1. An earring clasp comprising a U-shaped member having oppositely disposed ornament and pivot arms, the upper end of said pivot arm providing a horizontal axis of rotation, the upper .end of said pivot arm having a ledge disposed beneath said horizontal axis of rotation, an ear lobe clamping member having the inner end thereof pivotally and twistably mounted on the upper end of said pivot arm along said horizontal axis of rotation, said clamping member having a resilient tongue extending to said pivot member, said tongue having a free end pivotally resting upon said ledge, said tongue urging the free outer end of said clamping member toward said ornament arm, a slot extending inwardly from the outer end of said clamping member to divide the outer end of said clamping member into two separate ear lobe engaging portions, the outer end of only one of said two ear lobe engaging portions having a rounded projection, said projection extending along one side of the outer entrance portion of said slot whereby the entrance portion of said slot is substantially otfset laterally with respect to the normal position of said pivot arm, said slot having an inner recess disposed behind said rounded projection inwardly and to one side from the entrance portion of said slot, said recess being substantially aligned with the normal position of said pivot arm, the free end of said clamping member adapted to be pivoted on said horizontal axis toward said pivot arm, said rounded projection upon said pivotal movement engaging said pivot arm and causing said clamping member to twist vertically along its axis of rotation as said pivot arm passes into said slot, said tongue twisting said clamping member back to its normal horizontal axis to move said pivot arm into said recess and hold said pivot arm within said recess behind said projection to lock the free end of said clamping member in open position away from said ornament arm, the free end of said clamping member being releasable from engagement with said pivot arm only by manual pressure on said clamping member to cause pivotal and twisting movement of said clamping member whereby said pivot arm is moved out of said recess and through said slot.

2. An earring clasp comprising a U-shaped member having oppositely disposed ornament and pivot arms, the upper end of said pivot arm providing a horizontal axis of rotation, clamping member having the inner end thereof pivotally and twistably mounted on the upper end of said pivot arm along said horizontal axis of rotation, resilient means urging the free outer end of said clamping member toward said ornament arm, a slot extending inwardly from the outer end of said clamping member to divide the outer end of said clamping member into two separate ear lobe engaging portions, the outer end of only one of said two ear lobe engaging portions having a rounded projection, said projection extending along one side of the outer entrance portion of said slot whereby the entrance portion of said slot is substantially ofiset laterally with respect to the normal position of said pivot arm, said slot having an inner recess disposed behind said rounded projection inwardly and to one side from the entrance portion of said slot, said recess being substantially aligned with the normal position of said pivot arm, the free end of said clamping member adapted to be pivoted on said horizontal axis toward said pivot arm, said rounded projection upon such pivotal movement engaging said pivot arm and causing said clamping member to twist vertically along its axis of rotation as said pivot arm passes into said slot, said resilient means twisting said clamping member back to its normal horizontal axis to move said pivot arm into said recess and hold said pivot arm within said recess behind said projection to lock the free end of said clamping member in open position away from said ornament arm, the free end of said clamping member being releasable from engagement with said pivot arm only by manual pressure on said clamping member to cause pivotal and twisting movement of said clamping member whereby said pivotal arm is moved out of said recess and through said slot.

Bazner Nov. 20, 1945 Gray Jan. 8, 1957 

